Building Your Personal Brand
I’ve been helping a variety of individuals from those who have been slandered online to high worth individuals trying to remove any trace of their personal information online. What I’ve discovered is that you can effectively build (or manage) your online reputation with simple, yet effective techniques. There are a variety of strategies work but not all of them work well or provide lasting value. Here are a few techniques that you can implement easily and see lasting results:
- Start with social media profiles. Whether you’re a professional using Linkedin or a college student who’s active on Twitter, leveraging existing social networks is one of the fastest and most effective ways to generate organic search results (ex: Evett Shulman on Twitter). Social networks already have a great deal of authority and rank easily. By using these sources to control top organic results you can have more control over what appears on page one search results.
- Find high authority sites in your niche. If you are experienced in a given area, industry, or group, then find websites where you can add your profile (ex: Evett Shulman Vitae). These sites carry their own authority and rank well for specific as well as generic terms. Many allow expanded profiles that give you an opportunity to control the message. This is incredibly valuable when you are proactively managing your reputation and attempting to acquire more organic real estate.
- It pays to advertise. Google Adwords isn’t just for businesses trying to sell their services. It can also be used to control the first position of a search page. The best part about Google Adwords is that you are only charged when someone clicks on the text ad. This meas you get continuous exposure and don’t pay unless someone takes an action.
Keep in mind that reputation management, building your personal brand, is a long term process. Yes, it’s possible to clean up some results quickly but others will take some time. Think about personal online brand building as a marathon, not a sprint. When you do, you’ll take the appropriate actions for a permanent solution that not only protects but builds your personal brand for years to come.
